1. Flanders Waste Management Plan Example for SE European
Countries
Dr. S. Helsen
Zagreb
25/11/2010

2. Situation of Flanders North Belgium Pop. 6 million Area 13.600 km²
# Municip. 308 2

3. Need for Waste Management Plan
1970’s poorly managed landfills  pollution
1980’s  competences from national to regional level
 re-organisation of Assoc. of Municipalities
1981  waste management and soil remediation competences centralised  Public Waste Agency
Flemish Waste Decree based on : prevention, reuse, recycling, incineration, disposal
Five Waste Management (Implementation) Plans since 1986 3

4. First WMP (1986-1990): Making order out of chaos
Closing and redeveloping landfills Maximum use of existing incineration capacity and separate collection of municipal waste Cost depositing at landfill and incineration raised First step towards waste prevention and recovery 4

5. Second WMP (1991-1995): Built on previous success
Necessary policy instruments + infrastructure for
segregation at source
Separate door-to-door collection of municipal waste
streams and recovery
Network of recycling yards
Infrastructure for collection and processing of VFG
and green waste
Focused on waste minimisation and recovery 5

6. Third WMP (1997- 2001): Targets to reduce residual Waste
Partnership with non-profit organisation
Recoverable materials from bulky waste
Prevention /reuse through composting (home/industrial)
Development reuse centres network
Waste prevention public awareness
Incineration: construction postponed, capacity
reduced, optimisation with energy recovery systems
Landfill deposits further reduced 6

7. Fourth WMP (2003- 2007): Evaluation of Previous Plan
Main goal consolidate results and ensure progress
Implementation, acceleration, intensification of plan
Effective instruments adopted to achieve wide-range
of objectives
Aim: achieving sustainable development and permanent management of materials
Covering entire material chain: production of materials, goods and products to treatment of household waste 7

8. Fifth WMP (2008- 2015): 3 Target objectives
Environmentally responsible consumption habits
Buy and use environmental friendly products
Government stimulates and sends message to adapt
behavioural consumption to fit new practices
Objective 2
Reduction of residual waste production without affecting the quantities of materials consumed
Objective 3
Final waste treatment: BATNEEC 8

9. Objectives of 5th WMP aim at: Minimum waste produced
Re-introduction of waste in material chain  recycling
Disposal of materials in environmentally friendly way
Action programmes:
Prevention, lowered consumption and re-use
Selective collection and recycling
Final treatment 9

10. Results: Residual waste reduction
Targets continuously
evaluated and updated
Targets achieved faster;
e.g. target for 2006:
3rd WMP  220 kg/head
4th WMP  160 kg/head
Proposed long-term
target :150 kg/head 10

11. Incineration and bio-mechanical pre-treatment of household waste
Objective
Separate collection
WMP 2003 – 2007
66 % in 2000
69 % in 2008
Cessation landfilling 11

12. Waste disposal levies vs quantities of landfilled waste 1990-200812

13. CH4 and electricity production, Flemish landfills 1990-2006
Waste-to-Energy
CH4 and electricity production, Flemish landfills 13

14. Energy production from incineration of household waste14

15. Discussion Waste Implementation plans: key to success
Impressive results in reduction, reuse, etc., since 2007
70 % of household waste collected separately
less than 3% deposited in landfill
WMP goals achieved
Legislation focus : prevention and recovery of waste
(decrees amended)
WMP targets for and
have been met or likely to be met 15

16. Regulation modifications / adaptations (obligatory)
Mix of policy measures
Regulation modifications / adaptations (obligatory)
Voluntary agreements
Market-based instruments
Population communication and initiatives
Agreements, consensus-based policy preferred
Interesting policy outcomes
Population acceptance, willingness to segregate and
compost waste
Waste management and littering high in political agenda 16

17. Implementation Plan for 5 years - key measure
Comprises provisions for all public authorities
All relevant parties involved in process
Contribution with suggestions
relationship between waste targets and
agreements with municipalities happens naturally
Legal instruments
Uncontrolled landfill and incineration prohibitions
Methodical approach to waste problems
Waste approach based on producer responsibility
(take back obligations) and polluter-pays principle
High landfill tax: incentive to recover & recycle waste 17

18. Intermunicipal co-operation recommended
Municipalities controlling and financing waste services:
Fixed (yearly) tax & cash tax (Pay-As-You-Throw)
Reduction of residual waste
Development of recycling infrastructure network
(ca. 350 yards), incl. composting activities, etc.
Public Private Partnerships
(contracting, participation, concessions)
Total cost: 220 € / household (2.4 persons) 18

19. Sorting and recycling natural resources and energy savings
Recycling contributes to saving natural resources :
Aluminium, steel, PET plastic, glass, cardboard,…
Recycling saves energy:
Recycled steel requires up to 85% less energy, etc.
Reducing energy consumption reduces CO2
In 2008 ca. 680,000 t household waste recycled in BE
 850,000 t of CO2 emissions avoided
Sorting = reflex !
95% of Belgians sort their waste
Awareness raising can never stop (schools, firms, ... ) 19

20. From waste management to sustainable material management
Waste chain managed as one :
from "cradle to grave" or from “cradle to cradle“
Waste management linked to sustainable material
management (worldwide evolution)
Depletion of resources and environmental pressure
from material reduced
Challenge : providing sustainable material
management policy whilst having a growing economy,
production and consumption on a global scale 20

21. Waste management: new economic sector Collecting, sorting
and recycling:
growing economic sector
Recycling sector employs 2,500 people in BE
Waste management offers 8,000 jobs in Flanders
Recycling market stable
Crisis not affected trends in quantity of household packaging put on market 21

22. Waste Management in Flanders
Conclusions: 25 years of
Waste Management in Flanders
Impressive waste management system,
one of the best in EU
Final disposal in landfills almost ceased / landfill mining!
Packaging waste largely recycled or reused
Incineration for heat or energy recovery
Innovative techniques for better waste treatment
Municipalities responsible for implementation of
waste policies & organised through intermunicipal
cooperations and PPP constructions 22

23. Setting the example In Flanders: “There is no such thing as waste”
Export of experience and knowhow to SE European
countries, based on lessons learnt
Advice and technical assistance
Innovation and technologies
Legal instruments
Economical instruments
Social instruments
Challenge: most appropriate instrument or mix of instruments to achieve targets 23

24. Thank you for the attention
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